The
pilgrim with his scrip, staff and leaden badges, was a familiar sight on
medieval roads throughout Britain, Europe and the Holy Land from the early
1200's through the 1500's when the rising tide of Protestantism closed many
shrines and places of sanctuary. Pilgrims were a varied lot. Some were seeking
help for a particular affliction, some wished to honor a vow or atone for
a sin. Many simply set out to see something of the world and find some adventure
in distant or foreign lands. Whatever the reason for their travels, pilgrims
choked the roads from spring to fall and sometimes doubled the populations
of shrine towns, giving a much needed boost to local economies who depended
on the sale of food, lodging and souvenirs.

St. James

As pilgrims
flooded into shrine towns, they clamored for souvenirs of their travels.
Originally they took rocks or debris from the shrines, but as their numbers
grew, significant damage was being done to the holy sites. Among the first
pilgrim souvenirs were scallop shells sold at the shrine site at Compostela,
Spain, in honor of St. James. St. James became the patron saint of pilgrims
and his scallop shell became a symbol of pilgrimage right across Europe.
Soon a new group of artisans appeared to serve the growing demand for souvenirs.
These "Ampullers" sold lead-tin bottles (ampullae) containing
water from the shrines, badges, whistles, rattles and bells. These base
metal souvenirs were mass produced in stone molds and sold cheaply in the
marketplaces that grew up around pilgrimage sites.

Although
they took many forms, there were two distinct types of pilgrims' badges.
The religious badges depicting the saints, their relics or the manner
of their martyrdom, were strictly licensed and could only be sold by certain
Ampullers at the shrine sites. These badges were guaranteed to have "touched"
the shrine and were holy objects themselves. These badges were proof that
a pilgrimage had been completed and pilgrims often enjoyed preferential
treatment in taverns and hostelries.

Among the most popular Medieval shrine sites were Compostela, Cologne,
Canterbury, Aachen, Walshingham, Westminster, Rome and Jerusalem

Our Lady of
Walsingham

In addition
to the religious badges, secular badges and charms were also very popular
and featured beasts, heraldic and livery charges, hearts, figures and
everyday objects. These were purchased as gifts for those left behind,
or as amusing reminders of a good trip in much the same way we buy souvenirs
today. Often these badges were quite naughty and winged phalluses were
worn together with saints' badges on hats and scrips! The other popular
items like rattles, bells and whistles were cast and sold in the same
shops and sold to the merrymaking pilgrims, much to the annoyance of the
townsfolk. The
sales of these items was widespread and they were also cast and sold in
girdlers' shops that sold base metal buckles, buttons and belt mounts.